Share this

POLITICO reports today that Republican presidential candidates are making a concerted effort to steer clear of any D.C. political issues.

Most recently, candidates have avoided talking about the payroll tax showdown in D.C., allowing Congress and President Barack Obama to take the heat for the legislative malfunction. For instance, few of the candidates have spelled out their own plans for handling the payroll tax issue – a far cry from the 2008 and 2004 races, when candidates frequently discussed how to improve Congress.

Are candidates saving their reputations by avoiding talk of Congress and Washington issues? Or do candidates need to begin presenting their own plans to fix Washington?

More POLITICO Arena

About the Arena

The Arena is a cross-party, cross-discipline forum for intelligent and lively conversation about political and policy issues. Contributors have been selected by POLITICO staff and editors. David Mark, Arena's moderator, is a Senior Editor at POLITICO. Each morning, POLITICO sends a question based on that day's news to all contributors.